Ray Wilkins Milan, Paris and RangersEdit What did Wilkins do at Paris? Wilkins signed for Paris Saint-Germain
How long was his contract at Paris Saint-Germain?
How long was Ray Wilkins contract at Paris Saint-Germain?
Wilkins signed with A.C. Milan in the summer of 1984. He later remarked that the most difficult part of adapting to the Italian game was the focus on fitness - the coaching staff made him work to reduce his body fat levels and Wilkins described the result as being in the best shape of his career. The Italian team was struggling during this period, having suffered relegation in the 1981-82 Serie A, and Wilkins was joined by fellow Englishman Mark Hateley (himself replacing another compatriot - Luther Blissett). The only foreign players in the squad, the pair helped the team to victory over rivals Inter in the Milan Derby that October, winning plaudits from Italian press and the club's fans. In his first year there, Wilkins played 28 Serie A games to bring the team to fifth in the league and also won a runner-up medal in the Coppa Italia (having eliminated Inter in the semis).  The following season he remained a key player in Milan's midfield, appearing in 29 league games and scoring two goals - one late goal to salvage a draw at Avellino and another goal the following game against Sampdoria. These were the only Serie A goals of his career. Overall, the team struggled for goals, with Pietro Paolo Virdis's total of 13 making him the club's only goalscorer in double figures that year. The club also suffered off the pitch, with owner Giuseppe Farina absconding to South Africa following accusations of bribery and theft.  In Wilkin's final season there (1986-87), he fell out of the first team structure, following the signing of Roberto Donadoni and the continued presence of both Agostino Di Bartolomei and Alberigo Evani. The team finished fifth in the league, beating Inter twice, in Silvio Berlusconi's first year as owner. Wilkins played 105 games (74 in Serie A) for Milan between 1984 and 1987. Corriere della Sera eulogised him as a "serious and meticulous professional who was immediately appreciated for his long and precise passes".  Wilkins signed for Paris Saint-Germain in the middle of 1987, but this proved to be short-lived: he failed to break into the team ahead of Gabriel Calderon and Safet Susic so he eagerly took the option to signed for Rangers for PS250,000 that November. At the Scottish club he won two league titles and one Scottish League Cup under Graeme Souness. He achieved cult status for his volley in the Old Firm game against reigning champions Celtic in August 1988, giving Rangers the lead in a 5-1 win against their rivals. Despite only playing two seasons for the Glasgow club, he was inducted into their Hall of Fame. CANNOTANSWER
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Raymond Colin Wilkins,  (14 September 1956 – 4 April 2018) was an English football player and coach.

Born into a footballing family with his father and three brothers involved in the game, Wilkins played as a midfielder. He began his career at Chelsea, where he was appointed captain at the age of 18, and later played for clubs including Manchester United, A.C. Milan, Queens Park Rangers and Rangers. He won 84 caps for the England national football team from 1976 to 1986, playing at UEFA Euro 1980 and the 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cups.

After his playing career ended, he worked as a television pundit, and as a coach and manager with Queens Park Rangers, Fulham and Chelsea. He managed Jordan at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup and his last coaching job was as the assistant manager of Aston Villa later that year.

Club career

Early career
Born in Hillingdon, Middlesex, Wilkins started his career with the Sunday League team Senrab that play in Wanstead Flats, East London.

Chelsea
Wilkins made his name in the 1970s with boyhood club Chelsea, which he joined as an apprentice, progressing to his first team debut against Norwich City at the age of 17 on 26 October 1973 as a substitute in a 3–0 home league win.

In 1975, following the club's relegation and the departure of many established players, an 18-year-old Wilkins was handed the captaincy of Chelsea by new manager Eddie McCreadie, taking it from long-time Blues captain John Hollins. He took to the role well, keeping it for four years. He emerged as Chelsea's key player of that period, leading a team of mainly young players to promotion again in 1976–1977 and, in the next season, consolidation of their place in the First Division. His rapid success, along with his "dark good looks", also saw Wilkins becoming a regular pin-up feature in British teenybopper magazines.

His elder brother, Graham Wilkins also played for Chelsea.

Manchester United
In 1979, after Chelsea were relegated, Wilkins signed for Manchester United for a fee of £825,000, the highest fee received for a Chelsea player at the time. He scored ten goals in his five years with the Red Devils, including a long-range strike in the 2–2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion in the 1983 FA Cup Final (United won the replay).

He was voted player of the year by the team's supporters at the end of the 1983–1984 season. His midfield performances drew the attention of A.C. Milan, who made United a £1.5 million offer for the player.

Milan, Paris and Rangers
Wilkins signed with A.C. Milan in summer 1984. He later remarked that the most difficult part of adapting to the Italian game was the focus on fitness – the coaching staff made him work to reduce his body fat levels and Wilkins described the result as being in the best shape of his career. The Italian team was struggling during this period, having suffered relegation in the 1981–82 Serie A season, and Wilkins was joined by fellow Englishman Mark Hateley (himself replacing another compatriot — Luther Blissett). The only foreign players in the squad, the pair helped the team to victory over rivals Inter Milan in the Milan Derby that October, winning plaudits from Italian press and the club's fans. In his first year there, Wilkins played 28 Serie A games to bring the team to fifth in the league and also won a runner-up medal in the Coppa Italia (having eliminated Inter in the semis).

The following season he remained a key player in A.C. Milan's midfield, appearing in 29 league games and scoring two goals – one late goal to salvage a draw at Avellino and another goal the following game against Sampdoria. These were the only Serie A goals of his career. Overall, the team struggled for goals, with Pietro Paolo Virdis's total of 13 making him the club's only goalscorer in double figures that year. The club also suffered off the pitch, with owner Giuseppe Farina absconding to South Africa following accusations of bribery and theft.

In Wilkins' final season there (1986–1987), he fell out of the first team structure, following the signing of Roberto Donadoni and the continued presence of both Agostino Di Bartolomei and Alberigo Evani. The team finished fifth in the league, beating Inter twice, in Silvio Berlusconi's first year as owner. Wilkins played 105 games (74 in Serie A) for Milan between 1984 and 1987. Corriere della Sera eulogised him as a "serious and meticulous professional who was immediately appreciated for his long and precise passes".

Wilkins signed for Paris Saint-Germain in the middle of 1987, but this proved to be short-lived: he failed to break into the team ahead of Gabriel Calderón and Safet Sušić so he eagerly took the option to move to Scotland to sign for Rangers for £250,000 that November.

He made his debut for Rangers on 28 November 1987 in a 3–2 win over Hearts at Ibrox. He became an integral part of the team for the rest of the season, making twenty-nine appearances, which included both legs of the European Cup quarter-final against Steaua Bucharest. However, it would be the following season he would truly make his mark at Rangers. Reigning Scottish champions, and Old Firm rivals, Celtic played Rangers on 27 August 1988. With the score tied at 1–1, Wilkins scored a "thunderous volley" from the edge of the penalty box to put Rangers ahead, and his side eventually recorded an emphatic 5–1 win that day over their rivals. Rangers went on to win the league title that season, the first of their eventual nine-in-a-row. Wilkins also played in Rangers' win over Aberdeen in the 1988 Scottish League Cup Final. He remained an important team member into season 1988–89, playing in almost every game for the first half of the season, but his family wished to return to London. As such, he left Rangers in December 1989 to sign for Queens Park Rangers. Following his last appearance for Rangers, Wilkins received a standing ovation from the 40,000 crowd. Despite only playing two seasons for the Glasgow club, he was later inducted into their Hall of Fame.

Later career
The longest stint of his late career was at Queens Park Rangers, for whom he was a regular first team player from November 1989 to 1994, including the team's first two Premier League seasons. He made his debut in the 3–0 away win versus Crystal Palace. Wilkins left QPR in the summer of 1994 on a free transfer to join Crystal Palace as a player-coach under manager Alan Smith, but only made one appearance due to breaking his left foot on his debut.

Wilkins re-joined QPR as player-manager on 15 November 1994, following the exit of Gerry Francis. The rest of that season was a success with the team finishing eighth in the Premiership. However the close season of 1995 saw the departure of Les Ferdinand to Newcastle and the following season the team struggled and were relegated. As player-manager, he appeared in a further 21 games for the club from 1994 to 1996. Wilkins left QPR by mutual agreement in September 1996 after the club was bought by media tycoon Chris Wright following their relegation from the FA Premier League.

Wilkins played for four clubs in the 1996–1997 season. He played one game at Wycombe Wanderers before moving to Hibernian for a 16-game stint. Toward the end of the season he played three times for Millwall in the Second Division and, finally, three Third Division games for Leyton Orient before retiring.

International career
Wilkins scored three goals in 84 games for England, captained the team on ten occasions, and played at the 1982 and 1986 World Cups. Wilkins was called up to play for England for the first time in 1976 by coach Don Revie, then made his debut on 28 May in a 3–2 win over Italy at the U.S.A. Bicentennial Cup Tournament in New York.

He achieved one of his career highs after helping England qualify for the 1980 European Championships in Italy — the first tournament England had reached for a decade. During a group game against Belgium, Wilkins scored a memorable goal when he lobbed the whole Belgian defence (thereby breaching the Belgians' obvious offside trap) and delivered a second lob, this time over the head of the goalkeeper and into the net to put England ahead. The Belgians swiftly equalised, however, and England failed to progress beyond the group stage.

Wilkins was a fixture in the England squad through a successful campaign to qualify for the 1982 World Cup in Spain, which England exited at the second group stage. Over the season 1983/84, Wilkins continued to play for England under new coach Bobby Robson but the team failed to qualify for the 1984 European Championships.

Wilkins remained an England regular during his spell at A.C. Milan and he was chosen for the squad which qualified for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. He played in the opening defeat against Portugal. Wilkins became the first Englishman to be sent off at the World Cup in a goalless draw with Morocco in 1986, for throwing the ball at Gabriel González. The ball hit the referee having been thrown in protest at being deemed offside. He was suspended for the next two games and was not reinstated by the time the quarter final against Argentina came round, a game which England lost 2–1.

Wilkins made his 84th and final England appearance in November 1986, against Yugoslavia.

Coaching career

Early coaching career
Wilkins was QPR manager from 1994 to 1996, and managed fellow West London club Fulham in 1997–1998. In March 1999, Wilkins was appointed Chelsea's first-team coach after Graham Rix was jailed for child sex offences. Wilkins and Rix were Chelsea's interim managers after the sacking of Gianluca Vialli at the start of the 2000–01 FA Premier League season, but both were sacked from the club on the orders of new manager Claudio Ranieri in November 2000.

When Vialli was hired by First Division club Watford, Wilkins again assisted him until their dismissal in June 2002. From 2003 to 2005, Wilkins assisted former Chelsea player Dennis Wise in his managing of Millwall, but announced his exit when he took exception at Dave Bassett being hired in the coaching staff.

England U-21
From 2004 on Wilkins was assistant coach to Peter Taylor with the England under-21s until Taylor left in early 2007. Wilkins was not retained by incoming head coach Stuart Pearce.

Return to Chelsea

In September 2008, Wilkins was appointed assistant first team coach to Luiz Felipe Scolari at Chelsea, following Steve Clarke's departure to West Ham United. In February 2009, following Scolari's shock sacking, Wilkins was appointed as Chelsea's caretaker manager for the Fifth round FA Cup tie with Watford. Chelsea won the game 3–1, through a Nicolas Anelka hat-trick, with the club's new manager Guus Hiddink watching from the stands.

On 11 November 2010, it was announced that Wilkins' contract with Chelsea "would not be renewed" and that he was to leave the club "with immediate effect". On 1 December 2010, Wilkins reached what he described as a "harmonious conclusion" with Chelsea following his unexpected departure from Stamford Bridge. While appearing as a guest on Sky Sports Champions League coverage on 7 December 2010, Wilkins said that Chelsea still had not given him a reason for his sacking.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, who was himself sacked at the end of the 2010–2011 season, wrote about Wilkins, in his autobiographical book The Beautiful Games of an Ordinary Genius: "Ray is one of those select few, always present, noble in spirit, a real blue-blood, Chelsea flows in his veins ... without him we wouldn't have won a thing."

Later coaching career
On 30 December 2013, Wilkins was appointed assistant head coach of Fulham. He and technical director Alan Curbishley were sacked on 17 February 2014 and the season ended with relegation.

On 3 September 2014, Wilkins was appointed as the new head coach of Jordan. He led Jordan at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, where they were eliminated in the group-stages for the first time after two losses against Iraq and Japan and a win over Palestine.

On 25 June 2015, Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood appointed Wilkins as his assistant manager. On 26 October 2015, Wilkins was sacked along with Tim Sherwood and the rest of the coaching team.

Media
In the 1990s Wilkins was part of the team that contributed to the Football Italia show that aired on Channel 4. Wilkins later appeared as a commentator for Sky Sports, particularly on their Champions League coverage. He also worked for Talksport. Wilkins was also featured as a commentator on the 1990s Tango soft drink commercials, 'You know when you've been Tango'd'.

Personal life

The son of professional footballer George Wilkins, he had two sisters and three footballer brothers: Graham Wilkins (born 28 June 1955 in Hillingdon), a former professional, who played in the Football League as a full-back for Chelsea, Brentford, and Southend United; former Brighton & Hove Albion manager and player, Dean Wilkins; and Stephen Wilkins, who was signed by Chelsea and later made one appearance for Brentford, before playing for a number of non-League teams, including Dagenham and Hayes. Throughout his life, Wilkins was known by his childhood nickname of "Butch".

Wilkins married Jackie (née Bygraves) in 1978. The couple had a son and a daughter.
 
Wilkins was a patron for the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young. In 1993, he was made an MBE.

In March 2013, he was stopped whilst driving and found to be "nearly four times" over the legal alcohol limit. In February 2014 he said that he had ulcerative colitis. In July 2016, Wilkins was given a four-year ban for drink driving. In August 2016, Wilkins admitted he was an alcoholic.

Death
On 28 March 2018, Wilkins had a cardiac arrest resulting in a fall and was placed into an induced coma at St George's Hospital in Tooting. He died at the age of 61 on 4 April 2018.

Hours after his death, Milan played rivals Inter Milan in the Derby della Madonnina at the San Siro. His former captain Franco Baresi laid a bouquet of flowers next to Wilkins' shirt by the side of the pitch. A section of Milan fans held aloft a banner which read "Ciao Ray: Leggenda Rossonera" (English: "Goodbye Ray: Legend of the Red and Blacks"). During Chelsea's home game against West Ham United on 8 April, fans at Stamford Bridge gave a minute's applause in the eighth minute to pay tribute to Wilkins. They also held a banner which read "Ray was one those select few, he knew what it meant to be one of us a real blue blood. Chelsea flowed through his veins, may you rest in peace Ray."

A memorial service was held for Wilkins on 1 May at St Luke's Church, Chelsea, attended by many figures who knew him from the world of football. His son made a speech about Wilkins' struggles with depression and alcoholism.

Career statistics

Club

International

Scores and results list England's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Wilkins goal.

Managerial statistics

Honours

Player
Manchester United
FA Cup: 1982–83
FA Charity Shield: 1983

Rangers 
Scottish Premier Division: 1988–89, 1989–90
Scottish League Cup: 1988–89

England
Rous Cup: 1986
British Home Championship: 1977–78, 1981–82, 1982–83

Individual
Chelsea Player of the Year: 1976, 1977
English Football Hall of Fame: 2013

Assistant manager
Chelsea 
Premier League: 2009–10
FA Cup: 1999–2000, 2008–09, 2009–10
FA Community Shield: 2009

References

External links

England Record

1956 births
2018 deaths
Footballers from Hillingdon
England under-23 international footballers
England under-21 international footballers
England international footballers
English football managers
English footballers
English expatriate footballers
English Football Hall of Fame inductees
Expatriate footballers in France
Expatriate footballers in Italy
Paris Saint-Germain F.C. players
A.C. Milan players
Chelsea F.C. players
Crystal Palace F.C. players
Premier League players
English Football League players
Ligue 1 players
Scottish Football League players
Serie A players
UEFA Euro 1980 players
1982 FIFA World Cup players
1986 FIFA World Cup players
Fulham F.C. managers
Hibernian F.C. players
Leyton Orient F.C. players
Manchester United F.C. players
Members of the Order of the British Empire
Millwall F.C. players
Queens Park Rangers F.C. players
Rangers F.C. players
Wycombe Wanderers F.C. players
Chelsea F.C. non-playing staff
Watford F.C. non-playing staff
Queens Park Rangers F.C. managers
Premier League managers
English association football commentators
Senrab F.C. players
Fulham F.C. non-playing staff
English Football League representative players
Jordan national football team managers
Expatriate football managers in Jordan
English expatriate football managers
2015 AFC Asian Cup managers
Aston Villa F.C. non-playing staff
Association football midfielders
Ray
FA Cup Final players
English expatriate sportspeople in Jordan
English expatriate sportspeople in Italy
English expatriate sportspeople in France
Boukary Dramé (born 22 July 1985) is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays as a left-back.

Club career

Paris Saint-Germain
Born in Villepinte, Seine-Saint-Denis, Dramé began playing football at CSL Aulnay-sous-Bois before joining the centre of pre-training of Paris Saint-Germain F.C. at Verneuil. Having come through the Paris Saint-Germain F.C. youth ranks, he was promoted to the first team in 2005 and played his first game in Ligue 1 on 11 September 2005 against RC Strasbourg. He went on to spend two years in the first team, with different outcomes: four matches in 2005–06, 20 in the following, with the capital outfit barely avoiding relegation in the latter.

Sochaux
In July 2007, after refusing the extension of his contract with Paris Saint-Germain in August 2007, Dramé signed a four-year deal at fellow first divisioner FC Sochaux-Montbéliard. At Sochaux, he appeared scarcely throughout his first campaign. He picked up a serious ankle sprain on his debut against former club PSG.

On 1 September 2008, Dramé joined Spanish second division's Real Sociedad on a season-long loan. He made his debut in a 2–1 win at Gimnàstic de Tarragona, his only appearance of the season. In 2009, he joined Birmingham City on trial, and was keen on a switch to the English Premier League, but did not earn himself a contract.

During the 2010–11 season Drame played 26 games for FC Sochaux-Montbéliard and scored two goals. He was sidelined with knee surgery from January for a few weeks. With his contract due to expire at the end of the season, Sochaux offered him a new deal they failed to meet Drame's wage demands. His contract expired at the end of the 2011 season and he became a free agent. Clubs like Beşiktaş, Trabzonspor, Lecce and VfB Stuttgart showed interest in the player after his release. In June 2011 Drame was linked with a move to Newcastle United.

Chievo
In August 2011, it was reported that Drame had joined Leeds United on trial. On 23 August, he was transferred from Sochaux to ChievoVerona on a free transfer.

Paganese
After not playing in the 2018–19 season, on 3 October 2019 he signed with Serie C club Paganese.

References

External links

1985 births
Living people
People from Villepinte, Seine-Saint-Denis
Sportspeople from Seine-Saint-Denis
French people of Senegalese descent
Citizens of Senegal through descent
Association football defenders
French footballers
Senegalese footballers
Paris Saint-Germain F.C. players
FC Sochaux-Montbéliard players
Real Sociedad footballers
A.C. ChievoVerona players
Atalanta B.C. players
S.P.A.L. players
Paganese Calcio 1926 players
Ligue 1 players
Serie A players
Serie C players
Senegal international footballers
Senegalese expatriate footballers
Expatriate footballers in Spain
Expatriate footballers in Italy The 2009–10 season was French football club Paris Saint-Germain's 37th professional season, their 37th season in Ligue 1 and their 36th consecutive season in French top-flight. PSG was managed by Antoine Kombouaré. The club was chaired by Robin Leproux. Paris Saint-Germain was present in the Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and the Coupe de la Ligue. Paris Saint-Germain's average home gate was 33,266, the fourth highest in Ligue 1.

A few weeks before the end of his short term as president of Paris Saint-Germain, Sébastien Bazin, chair of the club's supervisory board and head of Colony Capital in Europe, assigned a clear goal for the capital club, especially to Robin Leproux, the future president of the club, and Antoine Kombouaré, the new manager. Bazin stated his expectations from the upcoming managerial tenure of former PSG player Antoine Kombouaré, as well as revealing his reasons for not making Alain Roche director of football. He also considered that Colony Capital, PSG's majority shareholder, was not behind in its development plan of the club, three years after its partial takeover. The U.S. investment firm had envisioned a six-year development plan to transform Paris Saint-Germain into an economically profitable and successful football club. Bazin declared that PSG started the season with the prospect of regaining European status:

News 
Paris Saint-Germain and Valenciennes reached a final agreement which allowed Antoine Kombouaré to join as first team coach for the next three seasons with an option for a fourth. Zoumana Camara signed a new one-year contract extension until 2012. Loris Arnaud signed a new two-year contract extension until 2012. Nicolas Dehon replaced Christian Mas as goalkeeping coach. Yves Bertucci committed to Paris Saint-Germain for one year as Antoine Kombouaré's assistant coach. Guillaume Hoarau signed an extension to his current contract until 2013. Colony Capital acquired all the shares of Morgan Stanley and became 95% owners of Paris Saint-Germain. Claude Makélélé signed a new one-year contract extension until 2010. Stéphane Sessègnon signed a one-year contract until 2013. Ceará penned a new deal until 2012. Sylvain Armand signed a new deal until 2012. PSG president Sébastien Bazin announced that Robin Leproux joined the club's board of directors. Péguy Luyindula signed a new two-year contract extension until 2012. Robin Leproux replaced Sébastien Bazin and became the new president of Paris Saint-Germain. Granddi Ngoyi penned a new three-year deal until 2013. Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoë announced that the Parc des Princes would be renovated to host the UEFA Euro 2016.

The club launched the Passion PSG membership, a relationship program unique in French football to strengthen the sense of community among their supporters. Younousse Sankharé signed a two-year extension until 2012. Paris Saint-Germain's eagerly-anticipated encounter with Olympique de Marseille was postponed after two club players had contracted swine flu. Ludovic Giuly and Mamadou Sakho were the first to be infected, before Jérémy Clément picked up the H1N1 virus. Robin Leproux announced his intentions of reviving the Tournoi de Paris for the 2010–11 season on the occasion of the club's 40th Anniversary. Claude Makélélé announced his retirement from professional football at the end of the season. Yann L., a Paris Saint-Germain fan injured in a fight between rival factions of hooligans from the club, was left in a life-threatening coma ahead of the league match between fierce rivals PSG and Marseille. The clashes involved hooligans from the two main stands at the Parc des Princes, the Tribune d'Auteuil and the Kop of Boulogne. Boulogne Boys member Yann L. was attacked by another PSG group, the Supras Auteuil.

OM fans had boycotted the match to protest against security measures imposed on visiting supporters. After several months of relative tranquility, Boulogne and Auteuil fans, angered by their team's poor results and a mutual opposition to the club's chief backer, Colony Capital, started fighting again at the end of last year and clashed violently at Lille in January. Robin Leproux reported the club would not make available tickets to their fans for away games until further notice. Yann L. died in the hospital after being in a coma since 28 February. The LFP announced that PSG would play their next three fixtures behind closed doors. Laurent Perpère and Francis Graille, two former presidents of Paris Saint-Germain, were handed suspended jail sentences and fines over a series of suspect transfers between 1998 and 2003. Perpère was given an 18-month suspended sentence and a 40,000-euros fine, while Graille received a one-year suspended sentence and a €20,000 fine. They set up the illegal scheme which included players, agents and Nike France. Nike France and PSG were respectively fined €120,000 and €150,000 for their part in the operation.

French Prime Minister François Fillon and Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux disbanded five PSG ultras supporters groups in light of the violence at the Parc des Princes. From the Tribune d'Auteuil, the groups Supras Auteuil 1991, Paris 1970 la Grinta and Les Authentiks were dissolved. At the other end of the pitch, the Kop of Boulogne lost Commando Loubard and Milice Paris. Once again, however, it was unclear how this would result in anything different regarding violence in the stands. Technically, the Boulogne Boys were banned in 2008, but most of their members have simply infiltrated other groups in the Kop of Boulogne. The Tournoi de Paris was officially confirmed for 2010. Tribune de Auteuil supporters called for a "peaceful march" in protest against the new anti-violence plan which was being set up by the club management. The majority shareholder of PSG and the supervisory board of the club extended the tenure of president Robin Leproux until 2013. The LFP announced the classification of training centers for the 2009–10 season. Paris Saint-Germain was ranked 11th, but at the forefront of the list regarding the selection of club-grown players.

Transfers 
In

Total spending:  €16.2 million

Out

Total income:  €5.48 million

Squad information

Kit 
Nike manufactured the kits for Paris Saint-Germain and Emirates Airlines continued to be the club's main sponsor. Nike have been PSG's official kit provider since 1989. Emirates have been the club's partner since 2005 and the major shirt sponsor since January 2006. PSG were handed brand new home and away kits. The home shirt was mainly PSG's traditional home colours of Navy Blue. Red pinstripes ran down the shirt and sleeves. The collar and ends of the sleeves were red, dropping the club's 'historical' shirt and causing some controversy amongst the fans, as it strayed away from the more traditional blue shirt with a central red vertical stripe trimmed with white. The away shirt was mostly white. The shirt featured a blue and red polkadott pattern around the whole shirt. There was a red piping around the ends of the sleeves and collars. The shirts had the club badge on the top-left, the Nike logo on the top-right and the club sponsor Fly Emirates written across the middle.

Board and staff

Friendly matches 
Just like last season, Paris Saint-Germain opened their pre-season campaign with a victory over Pontivy. Christophe Jallet and Grégory Coupet both made their debuts in the famous red and blue colours. PSG encountered few problems against Nantes, relegated from the French top-flight last season, with defender Sammy Traoré nodding "Les Parisiens" in front from a Clément Chantôme free-kick before Serbian striker Mateja Kežman made sure of victory shortly before half-time. Just two weeks before the start of the Ligue 1 season, PSG continued their pre-season preparation with a draw against a physical Greek side from Panthrakikos. Invited by Italian outfit Fiorentina, PSG attended the Memorial Artemio Franchi and stole the show scoring three unanswered goals, including Mevlüt Erdinç's first goal for new club Paris Saint-Germain, confirming that Antoine Kombouaré's squad was in tip top form just ten days from the start of the campaign. Paris attended Arsenal's Emirates Cup for the second time and suffered their first of the pre-season at the hands of Rangers in their opening match. New striker Mevlüt Erdinç, a 10 million signing from Sochaux, spurned a host of first-half chances for "Les Parisiens", who found themselves on the back foot for much of the first period. Paris Saint-Germain showed great character in coming back to equalize while playing a man down against Atlético Madrid in the second day of the tournament. The pre-season lived up to all its promise and was certainly a positive outing for Antoine Kombouaré's side.

Paris Saint-Germain prepared for the trip to Marseille in style with a win over Portuguese leaders Sporting Braga. The match was notable for Zoumana Camara gracing the Parc des Princes for the first time in the season after recovering from phlebitis. Clément Chantôme scored the opening two PSG goals and laid on an assist for Yannick Boli to add a late third. PSG was involved in a friendly match ahead of French Cup action, the men from the capital doing their coach proud with four unanswered goals against Ligue 2 side Vannes. Ludovic Giuly broke the deadlock and Vannes's Patrick Leugueun scored an own goal before Jean-Eudes Maurice added a third. Mevlüt Erdinç rounded out the scoring. Paris Saint-Germain announced their participation in the Chicago Sister Cities International Cup. After a season in which they disappointed in Ligue 1 but won the French Cup for the eighth time, Antoine Kombouaré's side flew to New York City for a short visit before heading to Chicago for the tournament against Legia Warsaw, Red Star Belgrade and hosts Chicago Fire. A narrow win against Chicago Fire took them through to a final meeting with Serbian league runners-up Red Star Belgrade. Paris Saint-Germain brought the curtain down on their end-of-season US tour with a defeat on penalties against Red Star Belgrade in the final of the Sister Cities Cup.

Competitions

Ligue 1 

An injury-time goal from Emir Spahić earned 10-man new boys Montpellier a dramatic draw at home to Paris Saint-Germain on the opening day of the season. Antoine Kombouaré's men notched their first win against Le Mans thanks to goals from Mevlüt Erdinç and Ludovic Giuly. Paris Saint-Germain coach Antoine Kombouaré made a winning return to former club Valenciennes as his side took all three points. Paris Saint-Germain kept themselves up with Ligue 1's leading pack with a home win over struggling Lille. In a frenetic final ten minutes that saw two goals and the expulsion of PSG's Stéphane Sessègnon, AS Monaco secured a dramatic win over the capital club at the Stade Louis II. Substitute Bafétimbi Gomis swooped to grab an equalizer five minutes from time as Olympique Lyonnais maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a draw at Paris Saint-Germain. Guillaume Hoarau found the net for the first time this season as Paris Saint-Germain picked up a point with a draw at Lorient. Paris Saint-Germain's bright start to the season is now a fading memory as Antoine Kombouaré's men stuttered to a third successive league draw as they were held by Nancy. Albin Ebondo's strike was enough for hosts Toulouse to edge out Paris Saint-Germain. Mevlüt Erdinç returned to former club Sochaux and scored PSG's third but also missed a first-half penalty as the capital club won for the first time since Week 4. A late goal on the counter-attack from Loïc Rémy allowed Nice to snatch three points from their trip to face Paris Saint-Germain. Gabriel Heinze's header was enough for Olympique de Marseille to take the honours in the rescheduled Clasico, dominating a struggling Paris Saint-Germain to climb to fourth place.

Auxerre's winning run was ended at seven after Jérémy Clément gave Paris Saint-Germain all three points at the Parc des Princes. Paris Saint-Germain scored four times in the space of nine minutes after the break on their way to a win over struggling Boulogne. Bordeaux stretched their lead at the top of Ligue 1 to four points with a victory over Paris Saint-Germain after Jaroslav Plašil headed home Benoît Trémoulinas's cross. A scintillating first-half display from Paris Saint-Germain gave them a win over Saint-Étienne to compound "Les Verts'" current problems. Lens came away from the French capital with a valuable point after holding Paris Saint-Germain to a draw with both goals coming in a frenetic four-minute spell in the second-half. Ismaël Bangoura's strike was enough for Rennes to convert their domination over Paris into three points and climb to provisional fourth place on the Ligue 1 table. A strong Paris Saint-Germain side piled more misery on Grenoble at the Parc des Princes, but the scoreline was harsh on a visiting side that were on top for long spells and hit the woodwork twice. Lille romped to a seventh successive Ligue 1 victory in their win over Paris Saint-Germain. An own goal from 'keeper Apoula Edel handed a precious three points to Monaco when the two sides fought out a frenetic league encounter at the Parc des Princes. Mevlüt Erdinç fired Paris Saint-Germain in front but Mamadou Sakho's red card changed everything and Bafétimbi Gomis and Cris struck Lyon's second half goals. Lorient improved their already impressive record in the capital as they outclassed struggling Paris Saint-Germain to condemn their hosts to a fourth successive league defeat. Antoine Kombouaré's men managed to avoid a fifth consecutive league loss as they drew in Nancy in a cagey match that saw both sides taking no risks in the search of a winner. Guillaume Hoarau scored for the first time since September as Paris Saint-Germain recorded a morale-boosting win over ten-man Toulouse at the Parc des Princes. Marseille enjoyed their biggest ever win at the Parc des Princes over Paris Saint-Germain.

Stéphane Sessègnon popped up four minutes into injury time to snatch a draw for troubled Paris Saint-Germain at Lens, after Sébastien Roudet's strike was set to hand the hosts all three points. Mevlüt Erdinç gave the striking Paris fans something to sing about as his hat-trick against former club Sochaux led PSG to a comprehensive win at the Parc des Princes. Loïc Rémy's late strike proved enough for Nice to beat Paris Saint-Germain behind closed doors at the Stade du Ray. Paris Saint-Germain were playing their third match in a week behind closed doors, but they made light work of ten-man Boulogne at the Parc des Princes. Auxerre missed out on the opportunity to ease clear of their title rivals at the top of the Ligue 1 table as they were held by a battling Paris Saint-Germain side. Bordeaux suffered a second major setback in a week, beaten at Paris Saint-Germain after veteran back-up goalkeeper Ulrich Ramé was sent off. Defence was the order of the day as a new-look PSG line-up managed a scoreless draw with a 17th-placed Saint-Étienne side. Paris Saint-Germain had to settle for a point at the Parc des Princes after the woodwork came to Rennes' rescue three times in the latter stages. Grenoble thumped Cup finalists Paris Saint-Germain at the Stade des Alpes with two goals in each half. Mateja Kežman's late strike looked to have secured all three points for PSG against Valenciennes, but Fahid Ben Khalfallah's reply a minute later rescued the draw. Ligue 2-bound Le Mans recorded their first-ever home victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the top-flight thanks to an early own-goal from Sylvain Armand. Montpellier booked a Europa League spot with a win at the Parc des Princes, while PSG finished 13th.

League table

Results summary

Results by round

Coupe de France 

Paris Saint-Germain entered the French Cup at the round of 64, as all Ligue 1 clubs did. Paris was pitted against fifth tier club Aubervilliers. Despite strong local support for CFA 2 side Aubervilliers, the Parisian French Cup derby was a one-sided affair, Paris running riot at the Parc des Princes. Despite many of the weekend's French Cup matches being postponed due to the cold snap in France, the draw for the round of 32 was held and Paris Saint-Germain hosted National side Évian at the Parc des Princes. Paris Saint-Germain qualified for the last-16 of the French Cup with a win over courageous Évian at the Parc des Princes. Mevlüt Erdinç scored twice with Guillaume Hoarau netting the third. The draw for the round of 16 of the French Cup was effected and PSG was pitted away to fourth tier club Vesoul. Paris Saint-Germain put their current league troubles behind them, continuing their winning ways in the French Cup with a narrow win in a heated affair away to CFA side Vesoul to advance to the quarter-finals. The quarter-finals of the French Cup were drawn, with the pick of the bunch being Auxerre's playing host to Paris Saint-Germain. Paris Saint-Germain pulled off a dramatic win, 6–5 on penalties over Auxerre after extra time ended scoreless to book a place in the semi-finals. CFA amateurs Quevilly got their reward for knocking out Boulogne as they were drawn at home to Paris Saint-Germain, who eliminated Auxerre. Paris Saint-Germain booked their place in the French Cup Final against AS Monaco in the French Cup Final after ending amateur side Quevilly's stunning campaign with a narrow victory in Caen, top scorer Mevlüt Erdinç scoring the only goal of a lively cup encounter. Guillaume Hoarau's extra-time strike was enough to claim PSG's eighth French Cup title in a hard-fought final against Monaco, whose coach Guy Lacombe failed at the final French Cup hurdle for the second year running, at the Stade de France.

Coupe de la Ligue 

The League Cup draw for the third round was held and threw up no less than six all-Ligue 1 ties, including Paris Saint-Germain's trip to Boulogne. Jean-Eudes Maurice scored the goal that separated the two Ligue 1 sides on the hour. Boulogne had several chances but could not beat veteran goalkeeper Grégory Coupet. Midfielder Clément Chantôme hit the post for PSG late on. PSG travelled to French Cup holders Guingamp for the last-16. PSG quit the League Cup after they lost their last-16 clash away to Guingamp. The Brittany outfit won courtesy of a Mamadou Sakho own goal.

Start formations 

Starting XI

Appearances and goals 

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Other statistics 
{| class="sortable" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:left; margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"
|-
!class="sortable" width="50px"|No.
!width="50px"|Pos.
!class="sortable" width="50px"|Nat.
!width="150px"|Player
!class="sortable" width="50px"| Assists
!width="100px"|Minutes Played
!class="sortable" width="50px"|
!width="50px"|
|-
|1 || GK ||  || Grégory Coupet || 0 || 1523 || 0 || 0
|----
|16 || GK ||  || Willy Grondin || 0 || 29 || 0 || 0
|----
|30 || GK ||  || Apoula Edel || 0 || 2588 || 1 || 0
|----
|2 || DF ||  || Ceará || 2 || 2760 || 1 || 0
|----
|3 || DF ||  || Mamadou Sakho || 1 || 3456 || 7 || 1
|----
|6 || DF ||  || Grégory Bourillon || 0 || 328 || 1 || 0
|----
|13 || DF ||  || Sammy Traoré || 0 || 2072 || 4 || 0
|----
|15 || DF ||  || Zoumana Camara || 0 || 2617 || 5 || 0
|----
|22 || DF ||  || Sylvain Armand || 1 || 3416 || 4 || 0
|----
|26 || DF ||  || Christophe Jallet || 8 || 3014 || 2 || 0
|----
|4 || MF ||  || Claude Makélélé || 2 || 3136 || 9 || 0
|----
|10 || MF ||  || Stéphane Sessègnon || 5 || 2692 || 4 || 2
|----
|12 || MF ||  || Albert Baning || 0 || 10 || 0 || 0
|----
|17 || MF ||  || Granddi Ngoyi || 0 || 1070 || 4 || 0
|----
|20 || MF ||  || Clément Chantôme || 1 || 1310 || 4 || 0
|----
|23 || MF ||  || Jérémy Clément || 1 || 3491 || 8 || 0
|----
|24 || MF ||  || Tripy Makonda || 0 || 180 || 0 || 0
|----
|25 || MF ||  || Jérôme Rothen || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-----
|27 || MF ||  || Younousse Sankharé || 3 || 971 || 4 || 0
|----
|7 || FW ||  || Ludovic Giuly || 3 || 2474 || 1 || 0
|----
|8 || FW ||  || Péguy Luyindula || 2 || 2287 || 1 || 0
|----
|9 || FW ||  || Guillaume Hoarau || 2 || 2067 || 5 || 0
|----
|11 || FW ||  || Mevlüt Erdinç || 2 || 2834 || 4 || 0
|----
|14 || FW ||  || Mateja Kežman || 1 || 420 || 4 || 0
|----
|18 || FW ||  || Loris Arnaud || 0 || 8 || 0 || 0
|----
|21 || FW ||  || Jean-Eudes Maurice || 3 || 736 || 0 || 0

References

External links 

Official Websites
  PSG.fr
  Paris Saint-Germain at Ligue 1
  Paris Saint-Germain at UEFA

News Sites
  Paris Saint-Germain News from Le Parisien
  Paris Saint-Germain News from L'Equipe
  Paris Saint-Germain News from Sky Sports
  Paris Saint-Germain News from ESPN

2009-10
French football clubs 2009–10 season